The subject matter disclosed herein relates to an insert apparatus configured for insertion into a sensor port of a flow cell.
Flow meters, including ultrasonic flow meters, employ sensors to determine the characteristics (e.g., flow rate, pressure, temperature, etc.) of liquids, gases, etc. flowing in conduits of different sizes and shapes. Knowledge of these characteristics of the fluid can enable other physical properties or qualities of the fluid to be determined. For example, in some custody-transfer applications, the flow rate can be used to determine the volume of a fluid (e.g., oil or gas) being transferred from a seller to a buyer through a conduit to determine the costs for the transaction, where the volume is equal to the flow rate multiplied by the cross sectional area of the conduit.
A sensor can be installed in a sensor port of a flow cell using an insert body that is mounted within the sensor port. In some installations, the insert body is welded or otherwise permanently fixed in the sensor port, preventing removal or replacement of the insert body in a timely manner. In other installations, a flange is used to install the insert body in the sensor port. The use of welds and flanges to install an insert body in a sensor port typically requires that a portion of the installation be external to the flow cell, which requires additional space and makes the installation more susceptible to damage. In other installations, an insert body is threaded into the sensor port. While the threading interface permits removal and replacement, the threads can be susceptible to leaking. In addition, the rotation of the insert body required for installation often makes it difficult to accurately align and orient sensors and insert bodies when required. In addition, for each of these different types of insert body installations, in order to remove or replace a sensor in an insert body, the insert body often must be removed, which requires a shutdown of the system that the flow cells are monitoring to remove the fluid and pressure from the flow cell.
The discussion above is merely provided for a general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.